Sebastian Vettel has said that the retirement of Mark Webber at the end of the season will be a loss to him and Red Bull despite their relationship as teammates being frosty at the best of times.

The two have come together in a number of incidents dating back to Vettel’s Toro Rosso days back in 2007, and the final straw came at this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix when the German driver ignored team orders to pass Webber and take the win. Although he admitted that on a personal level he was not close with Webber, Vettel said that he would miss the Australian driver as a teammate.

“Obviously we didn’t have the best relationship on a personal level but I think in terms of working professionally together for the team it has been very strong,” Vettel said. “Both of us have tried very hard to improve the car and surely the fact that he will not be around next year will be a loss for the team, a loss for myself because it has been always a huge challenge.

“I’ve learned a lot from him and I can stand up straight and say that there were many times and many places where I benefited from him.”

As teammates, Vettel and Webber have claimed four of a possible five constructors’ championships and revelled in a dominance that has only been witnessed a handful of times in the history of the sport. Although the Australian driver has failed to match his younger and now quadruple-champion teammate, his retirement after this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix will leave Red Bull requiring some adjustment in 2014 upon the arrival of Daniel Ricciardo from Toro Rosso.